Today at Woodhouse Salvation Army we celebrated Harvest. Let's worship together in thanksgiving to God, for all the good he bestows upon us.
Life brings its challenges, but we press on. We don't give up. The harvest is just around the corner. Let us rejoice. Let us sing, We Plough The Fields.
Scripture Reading: We look at just one verse today Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up
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Let us join together in a time of prayer. To help us let us sing; In Moments Like These.
Its in moments like these we do truly say, I love you Lord
Time of Prayer.
Father, as we celebrate this season of Harvest. We give thanks for the blessings of food, provision and nourishment. Please grow in us a harvest for the world. Come sow a seed of hope within our souls Lord, that we might yield goodness, patience and kindness in abundance. Sow a seed of peace in our lives Lord, that we might bear the fruits of forgiveness, compassion and righteousness. Come sow a seed of love in our hearts Lord, that others would reap the blessings of family, friendship and community. May each seed of hope, peace and love grow within us into a harvest that can be feasted on by all. Amen.
Please share with me in the Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Before we go to the word let us listen to the ISS (International Staff Songsters)sing
"They need me they need you they need Christ."
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up
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Address: The Battle before the Breakthrough
I want to say to each one of us here this morning, when we go through trials, hardships, don’t give up. Because God will bring you a harvest.
Once, a great military general was asked to reveal the three greatest things he learned throughout his military career.
He became silent, looked at the men in the room and replied, "Never quit; never, never give up." He paused then repeated, "Never quit; never, never give up." He waited a moment and stated for the third and final time, "Never quit; never, never give up."
You see, the challenge for us is to weather the storm, because after the storm comes the breakthrough. The challenge for us is to know that with every mountain top victory we will have a valley of the shadow of death. The challenge for us is to know that in between victories there are struggles to go through. But each battle that we face will bring us to higher ground and a bountiful harvest.
God used Moses to free God’s people from slavery but first he had to face Pharaoh. David became king David, but first had to face Goliath. If you are in a battle right now, take it as a sign that greater things, a greater harvest is on the way.
We all know, do we not, that there’s no triumph without being tried. No testimony without the test. No victory without a battle. Jesus knew all too well that there could be no resurrection without the Crucifixion.
If we don't turn back. If we don’t give up, we will reap a harvest. I do know that all those battles we go through, all the struggling we face in this life can make us very weary and tired. It’s at this point we need to go to scripture.
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
In other words - if we don't give up in the midst of the struggle, we will get what God has promised us, a plentiful harvest.
Listen to Hebrews 10:36
Persevere, so that when we have done the will of God, we will receive what he has promised. You will reap the harvest God has promised.
One person put it like this;
Be encouraged when you see spiritual battles happening in your life! Because it means you are on the verge of a breakthrough.
God wants to take you from strength to strength. From victory to victory. From glory to glory! All that we must do is persevere.
Don’t become tired of praying.
Don’t become tired of doing good.
Don’t become tired of reading your scripture.
Don’t become tired of helping, encouraging one another.
Why? Because your harvest may be just round the corner.
Persevere. Persevere. Persevere.
Jacob Riis, a Danish- American social reformer, says this on persistence, perseverance.
Look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock. A hundred times without so much as a crack showing. Yet at the 1001st blow it splits in two. I know it was not the one blow that did it but all that had gone before.
Persevere. Persevere. Persevere.
But the problem with today is this; we live in an age where everything is instant. Fast food, instant messaging, drive through coffee shops etc. All this instant stuff can lead us to being very impatient individuals. Sometimes we have the idea that, if we have to work for it, battle for it or wait for it, it’s not worth having. That kind of Philosophy is wrong. You see, to receive a harvest we must persevere. To receive a harvest, at times, we must battle through the storm. To receive the harvest, we cannot tire in doing good.
Before Joseph received his harvest, he had to do battle with his brothers and a well. Before Jesus received his glory, He had to do battle with Calvary. There are many things in this life that will try and stop you from reaping your harvest. As you go through your battles you may think thoughts such as; I don't have what it takes, the tunnel is too dark, the struggle is too much, I’ll never be free of this, things are not going to change! Well, let me tell you, that is what the Devil wants you to think. He wants you to give up, because he doesn’t want you to reap the harvest.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
I believe, and you must believe too, that God is about to use your biggest battle to bring about one of your biggest breakthroughs. And I know that is very hard at times to understand. But if we put our trust in God, He will turn everything around for His Honour and for His Glory. And He will get us to the place where He wants us to be. And we will reap the great harvest that He has promised.
Have you ever heard of Chuck Yeager? He was an aircraft pilot who was the first man to ever break the sound barrier. Pilots had often approached the speed of sound, but severe shaking of the aircraft caused them to turn back.
On October 14th 1947 Chuck Yeager set out to do what had never been done before. As he pushed his plane toward the sound barrier the plane began to shake violently from side to side to the point it appeared it may even explode. But this day would be different for he refused to turn back. He said, "If I die, I die trying. I'm not going back no matter what." The Bell X-1 aircraft went through the sound barrier.
Listen to what he wrote in his memoirs; All at once the stars and the moon came out and the sun was shining at the same time. I had reached the place where victory can be realized. It was for one reason and one reason only that I reached victory that day. I refused to give up. And the same apply to us as Christians.
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Remember this, Strength is not born by seeing miracles its born in the struggles of life.
We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair. Persecuted but not abandoned Struck down but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Push on, keep going and we will gain the harvest that God has promised us. Amen.
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As we come to the end of our Harvest worship come before our God and Saviour. Place all you burdens at his feet. Rest on him and be be prepared for the harvest.
Let us sing, I need Thee.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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